Healing Hands
by Laser Lance 720
Summary: Zutara Secret Santa 2013: Zuko remained still, leaving her pleas unanswered. Gritting her teeth, Katara dove deeper into her power. She could feel the water fighting to heal his wounds. Her hands were healing. She would do this. She would save him. She was healing. It was what she did.


**My secret Santa entry for one ****chic_bonaerense**. I ended up choosing the prompt of 'healing hands' and spun with it. This is the outcome and I am quite pleased with it. Wanted to work a bit with that final Agni Ki scene between the siblings and Katara and the theme I picked. So here it is.

-oOo-

The flares of fire had been mesmerizing to her eyes. She had nearly forgotten what was at stake as she watched the two siblings move. They flowed around one another and clashed as brightly as the blue and orange flames at the end of their fists did. Katara could feel the heat radiating into the air, could feel the stress and danger that balanced at the tip of the flames. But she could not have looked away no matter how hard she tried. The flames had captured her focus, her concern for Zuko had frozen her on the sidelines. Azula's lightening directed towards her had been a shock for all of them. She had wanted to move, to duck from the blast that she knew had been aimed to finish her. But she couldn't have. It moved too fast, was too much of a startle for her to fully requester until it was nearly upon her. She felt like an animal, trapped at the end of a spear.

It had taken Zuko's selfless efforts to knock her out of the trance. Seeing him toppling to the ground, lightening licking off of him as he rolled had been the needed crack in her fear. Something had kicked in, something dark and frightening that she didn't know how she felt towards as she moved towards Zuko, only to be halted by a heavy on slaughter of blue flames. The fear danced through her as she dodged Azula's blasts, the princess derange threats following behind. But there sat something inside of her stronger than the fear. Her body craved for vengeance, to topple Azula the same way she had taken down Zuko. She wanted to make the princess suffer at her hand. To suffer for everything she had done to her and her friends. To suffer for what she had done to Zuko. Her hands burned to take her, to freeze the princes' blood and finish it there. Her hands which lived to heal, burned to harm.

Katara glanced around the pillar she hid behind, seeing Zuko struggling to rise and fall. His failed attempts to rise sent the last spike through Katara's ability to control herself. Her eyes caught the chains, the water way below her feel, and she could hear Azula moving towards her. What she did next was almost as much of a blur as the ice spreading over them had been. It took all of her focus to seal both of them into the block of ice and in turn secure the princess to the ground. The air that rushed into her lungs as she dropped the ice brought her mind and focus back to the events happening around her. She tightened the chains and moved away.

Sliding onto her knees, she carefully rolled Zuko over onto his back, being sure not to brush against the startling red burn that laced his chest. Water stretched over her hands, forming thick gloves of flowing water. She brushed aside the tattered remains of his shirt in order to get a clear space of the burn. She pressed her hands onto his chest. It began to glow a bright blue, the shine spreading up to brighten the tears that formed in her eyes.

Frustration, fear, anger, remorse, it all mixed and matched inside of her as the seconds passed and Zuko remained still. She could feel his heart rate, his life slipping but she could not pull it back. He was fading and she could not find the power to save him. She felt so useless. The tears flowed freely from her eyes. "Please," she whispered. "Please come back. I can't… I can't lose you. Not now. Not ever."

Zuko remained still, leaving her pleas unanswered. Gritting her teeth, Katara dove deeper into her power. She could feel the water fighting to heal his wounds. Her hands were healing. She would do this. She would save him. She was healing. It was what she did. It was her job to protect her family. To heal every injury that that might receive. Pressing her hands against Zuko's chest, she could feel the wound slowly knitting itself back together.

"You can't leave me Zuko." She growled. "You can't leave us. You're part of this group. Part of the family. You don't get to leave like this. You don't get to come in here, make us love you and then leave. It doesn't work that way."

The tears feel heavier. She watched his face, searching for any indication that he was wakening. Her gaze landed on the scar that laced across his face, remembering the first time she had seen it. She had been so scared that day on the ice. He was her greatest threat, her largest challenge. Now, now he was her greatest friend. He had come so far, they all had. None of them were the naive little kids anymore, too scared to really face what was ahead. They had grown, healed the wounds of their past. They were stronger than ever, stronger than they ever thought they could become.

They were strong enough to survive this. She was Katara, master waterbender and teacher of the Avatar. He was prince Zuko, her greatest ally and the strongest person she knew. They were a team. Team Liguidy Hot. They would pull through this. He would open his eyes at any moment and smile at her with that dorky lopsided grin that she loved so much. They would leave this arena, met up with the others and be done with the war. They would survive. She was healing and he was strength. They could not lose.

Gritting her teeth she pushed back the tears. Her muttered confession of love to the prince was drowned out by the shrill cries of the hysterical princess behind them. The shacking in her hands grew faster as Zuko's breathing continued in a clattered speed.

"Wake up already you idiot!" She screamed into the air. "I can't lose you! I won't lose you so just wake up already!" Her head lowered, the tears catching in her throat as she closed her eyes. Her voice lost most of its volume. "Damn it Zuko. Wake up."

Even Azula's screams seemed to lose its intensity. Everything seemed to freeze. Her hands dropped from his chest at the movement under them. Zuko's smiling face greeted her when she opened her eyes. He seemed not to notice or care the scratches and blood that mixed with the dirt on his face. Deep bruises stained his pale skin, his unscarred eye was tinted a sick shade of a forming bruise. He was beat out of shape, but he smile despite it. She may have been the one with the healing hands, but his smile proved to hold the same healing power. All her rage and fear vanished with a glance from him.

"Thank you," Zuko whispered weakly, "Katara."

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you." She responded, lopping her arm behind him as she assisted him up.

The grin on his face faltered in discomfort. He grasped his torso, grimacing in pain before it passed. He directed his gaze onto Katara, the grin spreading back over his face. "Have I ever told you how amazing your magic healing is?"

"Magic healing?" Katara chuckled. It didn't seem like they were in the central of what remained of a great battle. It was like they were back on Ember Island, joking and passing the time away like the children they so craved to be. "It's waterbending."

"Those hands are nothing less than magic, Katara." Zuko countered.

She grinned as they stood. Their eye's roamed over to Azula, the princess fighting violently against the restraints. Katara moved her gaze onto Zuko, catching the way he watched Azula. She could see his desires to protect, his love for his sister, the remorse he held, and the pain of the past. It all danced behind his eyes. But among the darkness, she could see the light in his eyes. He had a long way to go before he was completely healed from the past. She had a long way to go in healing as well. But standing there, his arm around her for support, she knew they would be fine.

She may be the one with healing hands, but he was the one with the strength to get her though anything.

-oOo-

**I hope you guys enjoyed it. I hope my giftee enjoys it and isn't disappointed. **


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